If you like food, you’ll probably want to read The Recipe Club: A Novel About Food and Friendship, a novel that is unique in that the story is told through letters between two best friends; early on they decide to include a recipe with each letter and form their own two person recipe club. This delightful book includes over 80 fun recipes; many are quick and easy. One of the recipes that caught my eye was called Confetti Spaghetti, which I’ve adapted to make it not only look more like confetti by finely chopping the vegetables instead of grating them, but also adding ham to make it into a main dish. My version of Confetti Spaghetti includes whole wheat pasta, which is a little healthier and contains fiber, loads of vegetables, (including a couple of jalapenos for a little spice), and lean ham. It makes a big batch – enough for 12 servings - so it’s perfect to serve to a crowd, who will devour it instantly; leftovers heat beautifully in the unlikely event that there are any. Confetti Spaghetti is really easy to make, though, and is made on the stovetop so it won’t heat up the kitchen; a food processor or hand chopper reduces the hands-on time considerably, although most veggies can be purchased already chopped in the produce department of large grocery stores if so inclined. Even when chopping your own vegetables, this luscious, creamy main dish can be made from start to finish in about 30 minutes.
The Official Hancock Tasters loved this dish, and didn’t seem to notice that they were eating lots of healthy veggies. Confetti Spaghetti is a colorful light main dish and is perfect for a hot summer evening, since it doesn’t need an oven. You can make it a full meal by adding a salad and crusty bread.